Union University News

Union honored for community service efforts

JACKSON, Tenn. – Feb. 12, 2009 – For the third straight year, Union University has been named to the President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll for exemplary service efforts and service to America’s communities.

“Union University has been and continues to be committed to serving the West Tennessee community in a variety of ways,” Union President David S. Dockery said. “The investment in the lives of people and the programs of various agencies across this region provides a demonstration of the genuine compassion evident among so many of the students, staff and faculty of this university.”

This year, 635 colleges and universities were named to the honor roll, including 12 from Tennessee. Union is the only West Tennessee institution, outside of Memphis, on the list. Union is also one of only 160 institutions named to the list for three straight years, and one of only six four-year schools in Tennessee with that distinction.

Launched in 2006, the Community Service Honor Roll is the highest federal recognition a school can achieve for its commitment to service-learning and civic engagement. Honorees for the award were chosen based on a series of selection factors including scope and innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the extent to which the school offers academic service-learning courses.

Union University serves the community in many ways throughout the year. Its largest event is the annual “Campus and Community: A Day of Remembrance and Service,” in which the university sends out more than 50 teams across Jackson and West Tennessee for various service projects.

The event is an opportunity for Union to show its appreciation to the community for its assistance after a tornado hit the campus Nov. 10, 2002, causing more than $2 million in damage. More than 800 students, faculty and staff participated in the event in 2008.

Union also participates in local service projects every year on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, and the university sends out about 20 Global Opportunities teams annually. These GO teams participate in mission trips across the country and around the world. This year, GO teams will serve in such places as Boston, Mass.; Providence, R.I.; Nashville, Tenn.; Guatemala, Romania, Kenya and several other locations.

The award is given by the Corporation for National and Community Service.

“We are honored by this most recent award and recognition,” Dockery said. “It provides even further motivation for all of us for ongoing faithful service in days and years ahead.”